PEORIA — Journal Star coupon blogger Jolene Stecken started preparing the moment she found out the triple coupon event at Schnucks was coming.

"I found out on weusecoupons.com," explained Stecken. "The region out west of us had had their coupon drop, so I knew it was coming to our region this week."

Stecken went into her vast stockpile of coupons and pulled out all her 75 cent food coupons.

"I have my coupons separated by increments, and I also separate food and domestic," she explained. "I pulled out all the 75 cent coupons that I knew were going to be on sale, or were for items that I needed."

At midnight the day of the sale, Stecken was already in the checkout line at the Pekin Schnucks. After she used her limit of 20 coupons there, then she went the Peoria Schnucks, then back one more time to Pekin and once again to Peoria.

"I was literally up until 4 a.m., but it was worth it for me," said Stecken. "Some people play sports on the internet — this is my hobby."

On the first day of the sale Stecken said she saved more than $200, while spending less than $100.

"I filled up my cupboards," she said. "Having three kids, that sale is very helpful to me. I build my menu for the next month around that sale."

Stecken only became a super couponer a year ago. Her boyfriend at the time had lost his job, and she needed to shave $3,000 off the family's annual household budget.

"I tripled that," said Stecken.

Stecken stays up on all the latest saving trends by visiting a number of couponing websites. She also uses several apps that actually pay her to share her shopping habits. And she is a big, big fan of shopper loyalty cards, or saver's cards, which are offered by all kinds of businesses.

Stecken loves to share her knowledge. She teaches classes on couponing — the most recent was a free coupon seminar at Hyvee on Jan. 30. Here are the tips she imparts to those new to the vast world of couponing:

►Start buying the Sunday Journal Star.

"Get three sets of papers every Sunday," said Stecken. "That's my suggestion to people." The cost of the paper is nothing compared to the amount that can be saved using the stack of coupons inside, she said.

►Make a new email just for couponing.

"When you start signing up for things on Facebook and on the various manufacturers websites, you don't want all that coming into your personal email," she said. "It's really hard to separate it." Stecken suggests going to the websites of your favorite product's manufacturer — Proctor and Gamble, for instance. Most of them send out coupons regularly. There are also special offers all over the internet.

Page 2 of 2 - ►Check out www.weusecoupons.com. Couponers from all over the country share tips on this moderated website. Not only are there lots of good tips on how to use coupons, the site also has hundreds of printable coupons.

►Sign up for saver's cards.

"CVS, Walgreens, Kroger," said Stecken. "Hyvee is good for fuel. Pizza Hut, Arbys — anywhere you can get one. Keep your eyes open because lots of businesses have them."

More online tools

►krogerkrazy.com. "(This blogger) is amazing with Kroger freebees, and she's a region ahead us, so I know ahead of time what's gonna be on sale," said Stecken. "It saves a lot of time."

►iheartthemart.com. "(This blogger) is all about the walmart freebees," said Stecken.

►savingsstar.com. You tell the site what saver's cards you have, then you can click on the site's online coupons. Then buy those items with your savings card. The site keeps track of what you purchase on your saver's card and then sends you the amount of the online coupon. Once you've accumulated $5, the money is deposited in one of several account options offered by the site, including PayPal.

►ibotta, a free app. Choose savings offers online at more than 50 businesses across the U.S., including stores, movie theaters, restaurants and quick marts. Purchases can be tracked on savers cards or you can photograph your receipt and download it to the site. The e-coupon amount is then deposited directly into a PayPal account or onto a gift card.

►receipthog is an app that allows users to make money by sharing their shopping habits. Each receipt photographed and downloaded to the site will be rewarded with a very small amount of money, but constant use does add up, said Stecken.

"Last year, over the course of six months I was running three apps like that, and I made $150," said Stecken. "So by the end of next year I'm hoping to have $300. I'm snapping receipts like crazy!"